The Strength of Family
by supermegafoxyawesomehotstarkid
Summary: Snape was never an affectionate person, but when he discovers Harry Potter among the wreckage after Voldemort's attack on the Potter's house, he discovers that the one thing he most loves in life, is the most unexpected gift he could ever imagine.
1. Snape's Affliction

As I stood in front of the demolished house, my eyes began to moisten. I was, in no way, ready to face the damage inside of the house. The door was completely blasted off the hinge, and the back half of the roof was blasted off. There were pieces of furniture, pictures, papers, and other items strewn across the front lawn and in all of the trees in the yard. I finally mustered up enough courage to walk through the door into the entryway of the house. There was a stairway directly to my right, and I caught sight of the first horror in this house. I walked about halfway up the staircase and looked down at the lifeless form of James Potter. I can honestly say that I hated James Potter throughout our whole career at Hogwarts: his group of friends, the Marauders, made my life a living hell. However, after Lily agreed to be with him, he changed. It's a complete cliché, but James truly because a better, more levelheaded person. I never became "friends" with him, per se, but I would never wish death upon hum, especially at the hands of Voldemort. My breathing was increasing rapidly as I stepped over James and walked the rest of the way up the stairs. When I reached the top, I paused as I looked at the doorway in front of me. It was obvious that this area was the site of the initial blast. I almost did not walk into the room, because it was going to be the worst experience of my life.

I stood at the top of the stairs for a long time, just thinking of the past I shared with Lily, the woman I considered my best friend. We met as children and instantly connected. Suddenly, I was snapped out of my reverie by a child cry. My eyes opened widely. The boy is still alive? There is not any way that this could be possible. No one, in the history of all wizards, ever survived the 'Avada Kedavra' curse. How did this infant, with no means to defend himself, survive an attack from one of the darkest wizards to ever walk the earth? I heard from many wizards that Voldemort was "dead," which I knew to be false, but I was not expecting this child to be the reason.

I summed up the courage to walk into the room the voice was resonating from. Right in front of the crib, Lily was sprawled out, motionless, on the floor. Her hand was extended through the crib behind her, her last goodbye to her son. I could not control myself any longer. I fell to the floor and wrapped my arms around Lily's lifeless form. I realized about halfway through out Hogwarts career that I was hopelessly in love with my best friend. All I ever wanted was to be with her. When James started "courting" Lily, I became an angry, jealous fool. One day, I lashed out at Lily, and that was the last time that Lily spent any substantial amount of time with me. I realized, too late, that my actions were uncalled for, and I had no way of making up for my actions. James and his friends were no help, either, because they taunted me and made fun of every aspect of my being, which only increased the anger I held within. Eventually, Lily succumbed to James's insufferable attempts to become her partner, and they soon became inseparable. From a distance, I watched as they fell in love, and it broke my heart. I saw how happy she was with him, and James no longer taunted me, and attempted to stop his friends when they tried. I mustered up the courage to speak with Lily and I told her how sorry I was, and that I was glad she was in a good relationship and happy. She decided to forgive me, but our friendship was never the same. I sat sobbing against her form for a long while. My happiness was just taken away from me. I would never here her lovely voice, her contagious laughter, and I would never see her beautiful eyes again.

Once again, the child's cries broke my thoughts. I stood up and dusted my robes off. The baby boy, Harry, was a carbon copy of James, except for his eyes. As I looked into the infant's eyes, I saw Lily, and I realized that I could still have a part of her with me. I also noticed a small, lightning shaped scar on his little forehead. This scar must be the result of the curse Voldemort sent his way. The spell must have backfired for some reason, and caused the blast. I did not understand, however, why Harry escaped with a mere scar on his forehead.

I realized that I needed to get word to Dumbledore about Harry. I conjured my patronus, a doe, and sent a message off to Dumbledore. Harry reached his little hands into the air, so I bent down and lifted him out of the crib. His cries ceased immediately, and he stared up at me. In all of the destruction, I searched to see if there were any sort of toys or pictures or anything of James and Lily's to remind Harry of his parentage. As I was searching, I lifted a large chunk of ceiling of the floor in the corner of the room, and under it was a small toy chest. Inside of the chest, there was one lone teddy bear, with "Mummy loves you, Harry" stitched on the chest. The bear was also holding a broomstick in the right paw, no doubt James's tribute to the toy. After I found the bear, a shimmering phoenix flew into the room. It's large beak opened and Albus Dumbledore's gentle voice escaped, "Severus, this is an astonishing occurrence. You must bring the boy to Hogwarts before someone else discovers him and takes him away. He must be placed somewhere safe, somewhere he won't grow up in danger. I believe that he has a few muggle relatives in Surrey that he could be placed with. I fear that this child will face many obstacles in his life in the future. If he is placed with the muggles, along with many enchantments surrounding him, I believe he will be safe. The Death Eaters have scattered and are now in hiding, but I am sure that there are more than a few that would be willing to sacrifice young Harry. Please, Severus, come to Hogwarts right away. I will allow safe passage for Apparating into the grounds."

What was wrong with Dumbledore? I realized that Voldemort was not truly dead, but I did not believe that there was any way he would return to his human form any time soon, certainly not soon enough to threaten this infant's health. There was no way that I was going to be able to let go over Harry anyway. He was the only remaining link I had with Lily. Deep in my mind, I knew that Voldemort was right, and that there was the possibility of a Death Eater attack, but I would be able to protect him just as well as any enchantment. I wanted to keep him in my life, mostly for selfish reasons but also, because I believed that Lily would expect me to keep her son safe from any danger. I finally decided that I would apparate to Hogwarts, but I was only going to tell Dumbledore that I was taking Harry far away, and there was nothing he could do about it.


	2. Snape's Plan

Apparation is never my favorite form of travel, but I was a considerable distance away from Hogwarts, so it was necessary. I landed on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest near the lake. Even when I was a student at Hogwarts, the lake was my favorite part of the grounds. I would sit propped against a rock for hours just staring into the lake and thinking. During the summer holidays, I still sat by the lake. It gave me a sense of calm. My life never seemed to go the way I would have liked it to, mostly from wrong choices and actions in my youth, but I could always count on the serenity of the lake. Before walking up to the castle, I stood at the lake's edge holding a sleeping baby. Holding this child was the strangest sensation I had ever experienced. I have never been an extremely affectionate person, even toward Lily, but at this moment, I could feel the need to nurture this small child. It is strange to realize that infants cannot care for themselves, and that they need your complete care and attention all of the time. The lake was glistening from the sun and there was a cool breeze blowing. I could have stood by the lake just holding Harry for hours. However, I needed to speak with Albus. So, I started my walk into the castle and the ascent through the hallways to his office.

"Ah, Severus. I have been waiting for you. I see that you have brought young Harry safely." Albus Dumbledore was a very kind and gentle man. In my youth, he was a mentor to me. I believe that he understood me in ways nobody ever had, in ways I did not eve understand myself. His eyes were twinkling under his half-moon spectacles as he spoke to me.

"Yes, Albus. I am very sorry. I was down by the lake with Harry for a while. It is, as you know, very calming for me down there. Harry has been sleeping soundly ever since we left Godric's Hollow. I have something that I wish to ask of you."

"And what would that be, Severus?" Albus's looking was inquisitive. I sensed he already knew what I was going to ask. The headmaster of Hogwarts seemed to know all things. He seemed to know that certain events were going to happen, even before they had been thought up. He also seemed to understand what the outcomes of every event were going to be. No doubt, he knew that I wanted to keep Harry with me.

"Albus, when I was in that house, I realized all the things that I have ever done wrong in my life. I know that I was never the best friend that Lily wanted or needed. I also realize that I was never kind to any of my peers. I so desperately wanted her to be a part of my life that I let everything else slip through my fingers. Even after she married Potter. When I walked into that house and heard Harry crying, something flared inside me that I never thought possible. I walked into his demolished room, to see Lily dead on the floor protecting the one thing that she held most dear in her life. He is the last remaining link I have with Lily and with my former life. I want to start anew. I wish to take care of this child myself. I desperately want to prove to myself and to every person I have ever met that I can be a different person. I understand that you want Harry to go and live with his family in Surrey, but I can't allow that to happen. I can't, with a good conscience, leave this little boy to anyone else. I know that Lily would want me to protect him. Please, sir, I would love nothing more than to raise this child as if he were my own." It felt good to release some of my inner feelings. Albus seemed to have that effect on me. I would always find myself at the end of a long story or telling Albus exactly how I felt about anything and wonder how I could admit to him what I could not admit to myself. I was truly grateful and blessed to have this man in my life, and I hoped that he would understand the need I had to take care of Harry.

"Severus, I do understand that this is Lily's son. Staring into his eyes is like staring at Lily. But, alas, I am afraid that I cannot let you take him. I sense that Harry is in more danger than any of us could ever imagine. It would be for his benefit to take him away from the wizarding world to grow up. This would be a tremendous burden to place upon a child. I also have a feeling that Voldemort will be back and attempting to find Harry in a much shorter time that we believe." There was concern in Albus's eyes. I noticed that Albus looked older and more tired than he ever had in his entire life. His worry for Harry's protection was obviously very immense, but I was sure that I could do anything Harry would need to stay safe.

"Albus, I don't know if I'll be able to let him go now. Please, I can do anything necessary to take care of him. I can move anywhere in the world and I can place protection charms around us, just as you would in the muggle's home. I can raise him outside of the wizarding world, and he will be just as safe with me as he will with any muggle. I have the power to protect him, should the need arise. Muggles would not be able to do anything to protect him." My face contorted in pain as the thought of giving Harry to his muggle relatives crossed my mind. I was becoming distressed, and if Albus said no to me, I planned to run away with Harry. I could make myself disappear and Albus would be able to do nothing. I could not lose the last link I had to the love of my life.

"That is a very good point, Severus. But that would require too much of you and I cannot ask you to give up everything to do that. I'm sorry, Severus my mind is made up. Harry must live with his relatives in Surrey." Albus's face was set and I could tell that if I pressed the matter once more, he would not be happy with me. Albus was never a man to express his anger, but he was not a man that you wanted to disappoint. I swallowed hard and then sighed.

"Okay, Albus. If you believe that it is necessary. I trust your judgment. If it is possible, can I at least keep him with me until he actually needs to go to his relatives' house? I'm sure you will need a few days to sort everything before you can take him there." This was the best excuse that I could come up with. A lump formed in my throat, because I was scared that Albus was going to take him now and my plan would fail.

"That seems reasonable, Severus. I trust you to take care of young Harry until the time comes to take him away. I do trust that you will not take advantage of these last few days with him. You will see him again, Severus. I am sure that he will be one of the greatest wizards Hogwarts will ever see." He paused and looked over his glasses at me, the twinkle in his eyes reappeared. "Hogwarts will always have a place held for our small hero." I sensed that his last words had greater meaning than he was letting on. But, I was so relieved that he accepted my request that I gave it no more than a fleeting thought. I was now planning everything that I needed to do in a short amount of time so that I could flee from Hogwarts and the wizarding world in London.

Over the next few days, I quickly packed all of my belongings from the dungeons and ran many errands to prepare myself. Harry was the best-behaved baby I had ever met. He was so full of excitement and joy. I found myself enjoying every minute of peek-a-boo, talking to him, playing with his toys, and singing to him. There was no way I could picture my life without this small child.

My last errand before I fled was to Gringotts. All I needed to do was withdrawal all of money and close my account and I would be set to start a new life. I was apprehensive when I entered, because I was afraid Albus would be there to stop me or someone else I knew would let him know that I was planning to run. I was supposed to return Harry to Albus at around 10 o'clock this evening, but I would be long gone before then. As the goblin took us down to my vault, I was running through all of my plans one last time. I had packed everything that I own into an enchanted suitcase. I had also gone to a muggle baby store and bought every necessary item to take care of Harry. I ditched all of my wizard robes and bought a new, muggle wardrobe. After I close this account, I would go to the muggle airport and fly to our destination. My worries subsided as I exited Gringotts unnoticed and made my way back to muggle London.

The muggle airport, London Heathrow, was enormous and I had a hard time finding my way to the correct terminal for my flight. I was now glad that I arrived two hours before my flight was scheduled to take off, because it took me an hour and forty-five minutes to find my way to the waiting area for the flight. I was relieved when they finally called the flight to board the plane. I found my way back to my seat and held Harry close to me. "Hey, buddy. We're off to start a new life. No one will ever be able to hurt you. I will always be here to protect you." He fell asleep in my arms and I was at peace. As the flight took off, I finally realized that I was actually going to be able to take care of Lily's child and start a life as someone other than Severus Snape.


	3. Undesirable Pursuer

"_What did you find out, Lucius?" A cold voice hissed from the dark corner of the room. Lucius Malfoy was cowering in the middle of the room, trying to edge away from the terrifying being in front of him._

"_I, I saw him take that boy from the house, but then he apparated away. I did not know what you would want me to do, so I came back to ask your advice, my Lord."_

"_Lucius, you are a fool. You should have apparated to Hogwarts. You know that Albus Dumbledore is the one responsible for Snape's actions. He was never a good liar. Go back there now and find out what they are planning to do with that child. I have to fulfill the prophecy so that I can come back to power and rule over the wizarding world."_

"_Y-yes my Lord. I will return when I discover their plans."_

"_Lucius, I hope, for your sake, that you have actually found out some more information. It has been a few days since you reported to me."_

"_Y-yes, my Lord. I have. When I arrived at Hogwarts, I overheard a conversation between Dumbledore and Snape. Snape wants to keep the child, but Dumbledore insisted that he be moved to a Muggle family's house. I followed Snape down to his quarters to question him, but when I got to his door, he was frantically throwing his belongings into a bag. So I stayed hidden. I camped out on the Hogwarts grounds and followed Snape the next day. He ran many errands in Muggle London and in Diagon Alley. It appears as if he is going to flee with the child. The only thing I do not know is his destination."_

"_Well, Lucius, you have proved yourself to me. And Snape did not suspect that anyone was following him?"_

"_No, my Lord. I made sure to stay out of sight while following him."_

"_Good, good. I am afraid, however, that I must ask you to do one more thing for me. You see, I am in no condition to go gallivanting about. I need to rest so that I can gain strength. And I need to have someone that will keep an eye on that boy, because I need him to return to power. So, Lucius, I ask that you pack your things and follow Snape, wherever he is going. When I am ready, I will contact you and you will bring me that child."_

"_M-my Lord, you need me to do this for you? Could Bellatrix not do this for you? I have a small child at home as well."_

"_Lucius, for the sake of your child, you should do as I ask of you. You would not want something happening to your family, would you?"_

"_N-no my Lord. I will go and pack my things."_

"_Very well, Lucius. I am sure that you will hear from me very soon. I can feel my strength regenerating as we speak."_

_Lucius Malfoy bowed and slowly backed out of the room. He took one last look at the strange being that Voldemort had become. He then went to pack all of his things to follow Severus Snape, because he would not let Voldemort destroy his family as he had done to the Potters._


End file.
